Hi guys,

I recently installed Houdini 14 but I can't use it. It crashes constantly. If I try and apply the Mountain SOP to anything it crashes. If I try and select points and use the transform tools it crashes, theres a few other ways it crashes but those are the ones I can repeat constantly. I already tried a reinstallation as well as switching between the Apple and Nvidia drivers (the latest, straight from their site.)

I have the following hardware:

Mac Pro (Mid 2010)
Processor 3.33 GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon
Memory 24 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 ECC
OS: Yosemite 10.10.1
Graphics: NVidia Quadro K5000 4096MB

I saw crashes mentioned but I only found solutions for Windows, nothing for Mac.

I finally have a few weeks to start learning Houdini and then this happens Has anyone else run into this issue or know of a solution?

I'm on Houdini Apprentice I'm not sure if SideFx wants me to file a bug report. I know some software only wants paying users to submit bug reports but I can generate crash logs easily enough if it helps. Here is one:

Crash report from Scott; Houdini FX Version 14.0.201.13
Uptime 48 seconds
Wed Jan 21 23:12:38 2015
Caught signal 11

2 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010ea64770 AP_Interface::coreDumpChaser(UTsignalHandlerArg) + 640
3 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010ea6793e AP_Interface::si_CrashHandler::chaser(UTsignalHandlerArg) + 46
4 libHoudiniUT.dylib 0x0000000115471b32 signalCallback(UTsignalHandlerArg) + 546
5 libHoudiniUT.dylib 0x0000000115695d81 UT_Signal::processSignal(int, __siginfo*, void*) + 209
6 libsystem_platform.dylib 0x00007fff85deaf1a _sigtramp + 26
7 ??? 0x0000000000000001 0x0 + 1
8 GLEngine 0x00007fff9006a83c gleDirtyBufferObjectCurrentBindPoints + 109
9 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010eac0b24 RE_OGLBuffer::initialize(RE_Render*, void const*) + 356
10 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010eac0e34 RE_OGLBuffer::setData(RE_Render*, void const*, int, int) + 228
11 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010eb5f35e RE_VertexArray::setArray(RE_Render*, void const*, int, int, int) + 142
12 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010eaa344c RE_Font::createFontDeferData(RE_Render*, UT_StringArray const&, UT_Array<RE_Font*> const&, UT_Array<UT_Unicode::transform*> const&, UT_Array<UT_RGBAT<float> > const&, UT_Array<UT_Vector3T<float> > const&, float, float, float, float, UT_Array<RE_FontDeferData>&) + 9692
13 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010eb38cb8 RE_RenderUI::draw(RE_Render*) + 1256
14 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010eb38462 RE_RenderUI::flush(bool) + 66
15 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010eaf6260 RE_OGLRender::popDepthState(int*) + 80
16 libHoudiniAPPS3.dylib 0x0000000109e0f0ce DM_VPortAgent::doRenderCurrentName(RE_Render*, int, int) + 2702
17 libHoudiniAPPS3.dylib 0x0000000109e05875 DM_VPortAgent::doRenderName(RE_Render*, int, int, bool) + 149
18 libHoudiniAPPS3.dylib 0x0000000109e048c8 DM_VPortAgent::doRender(RE_Render*, int, int) + 776
19 libHoudiniAPPS3.dylib 0x0000000109e3899f DM_Viewport::doRender(RE_Render*, int, int) + 399
20 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010ec878aa UI_Feel::renderMe(RE_Render*, int, int) + 938
21 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010ec8b215 UI_Feel::doRenderKids(RE_Render*, int, int) + 133
22 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010ec8b075 UI_Feel::doRender(RE_Render*, int, int) + 197
23 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010ec878aa UI_Feel::renderMe(RE_Render*, int, int) + 938
24 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010ec8b215 UI_Feel::doRenderKids(RE_Render*, int, int) + 133
25 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010ec8b075 UI_Feel::doRender(RE_Render*, int, int) + 197
26 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010ed83b1a UI_Viewport::reRender(RE_Render*, bool) + 202
27 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010ed88085 UI_Window::renderChildViews(RE_Render*) + 757
28 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010ed884e6 UI_Window::doRedraw() + 598
29 libHoudiniAPPS3.dylib 0x0000000109e2e77a dm_ViewLayoutWindow::doRedraw() + 538
30 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010ed18d59 UI_Queue::doWindowRedraws() + 505
31 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010ed1a8d1 UI_Queue::suspendRedraws(bool, bool) + 113
32 libHoudiniAPPS3.dylib 0x000000010a0d4df8 JEDI_View::invokeMoveTool(int, JEDI_View::ToolSpace, bool) + 856
33 libHoudiniAPPS3.dylib 0x000000010a24d558 MSS_SingleOpState::handleSelectorDone(UI_Event*) + 424
34 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010ed176a6 UI_Queue::UI_ActualQueue::processHighPriorityEvents() + 214
35 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010ed1a8b8 UI_Queue::suspendRedraws(bool, bool) + 88
36 libHoudiniAPPS3.dylib 0x000000010a0d4df8 JEDI_View::invokeMoveTool(int, JEDI_View::ToolSpace, bool) + 856
37 libHoudiniAPPS3.dylib 0x000000010a0de9c8 JEDI_View::handleKeyEvent(UI_Event*) + 936
38 libHoudiniAPPS3.dylib 0x0000000109f19283 FUSE_Viewer::handleKeyboardEvent(UI_Event*) + 131
39 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010ed18a3b UI_Queue::processNextEvent() + 763
40 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010ed18692 UI_Queue::drain() + 210
41 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010ed18f70 UI_Queue::eventLoop() + 304
42 libHoudiniUI.dylib 0x000000010ea69024 main + 4276
43 libdyld.dylib 0x00007fff8ac4d5c9 start + 1
44 ??? 0x0000000000000001 0x0 + 1

Houdini 14.0.220 is feeling pretty rock solid here on GTX 980, OsX 10.10.1. Try the Nvidia web drivers perhaps:

'QUADRO & GEFORCE MAC OS X DRIVER RELEASE 343.01.02'
http://www.nvidia.com/download/driverResults.aspx/80070/en-us [nvidia.com]

MartybNz
Houdini 14.0.220 is feeling pretty rock solid here on GTX 980, OsX 10.10.1. Try the Nvidia web drivers perhaps:

'QUADRO & GEFORCE MAC OS X DRIVER RELEASE 343.01.02'
http://www.nvidia.com/download/driverResults.aspx/80070/en-us [nvidia.com]

Thanks but I've already tried those as well as the Apple drivers

Sorry to add to this thread but I have to agree the production build on OSX is pretty poor with the new open GL viewport just not working as expected

Houdini 14.0.201.13
OSX 10.9.4



Create a sphere > add vdb_from polygons = Crash .

Rob

circusmonkey
Houdini 14.0.201.13
OSX 10.9.4

Display options / Background > turn off display env lights as background, set to off and you still get the blue gradient in the viewport with the colour scheme set to light.

Create a sphere > add vdb_from polygons = Crash .

Rob

This pretty much sums up my experience. I saw a sticky I somehow missed explaining what to do when you find a bug in apprentice version so I'm going to follow that when I get home.

I literally can't do anything at the moment, as soon as I add geometry or try and connect anything or even mess with preferences I get a crash On the plus side I can really easily reproduce the crashes either by moving individual points on a plane with the transform tools, or using the mountain SOP on the monster test geometry.

Everyone is encouraged to submit bug reports, paying customer or not. Especially crash logs. We love crash logs (though of course we love it more when Houdini doesn't crash…).

The OSX/nVidia issue is almost certainly a video driver bug which we are trying to find some way around. We've had to work around driver bugs before, but this one is proving to be particularly stubborn. These easily reproducible test cases are really helping out though. Before release we had seen crash logs like this on a few occasions, but had not been able to establish a pattern. Now we can attempt fixes and actually test them to see if they work…

Anyway, we are well aware of the issue now and will keep you posted if/when we make some progress on it.

Thanks for your help and your patience!

Mark

mtucker
Everyone is encouraged to submit bug reports, paying customer or not. Especially crash logs. We love crash logs (though of course we love it more when Houdini doesn't crash…).

The OSX/nVidia issue is almost certainly a video driver bug which we are trying to find some way around. We've had to work around driver bugs before, but this one is proving to be particularly stubborn. These easily reproducible test cases are really helping out though. Before release we had seen crash logs like this on a few occasions, but had not been able to establish a pattern. Now we can attempt fixes and actually test them to see if they work…

Anyway, we are well aware of the issue now and will keep you posted if/when we make some progress on it.

Thanks for your help and your patience!

Mark

Thanks! Do you just want the log or the .hip file it creates too? I noticed in temp directory next to the log there's a .hip file but it appears empty anytime I open it. I can reproduce the crashes every time so if there's anything I can do to help just let me know.

I'll be sure to file a bug report when I get home.

chrono1081
Thanks! Do you just want the log or the .hip file it creates too? I noticed in temp directory next to the log there's a .hip file but it appears empty anytime I open it. I can reproduce the crashes every time so if there's anything I can do to help just let me know.

I'll be sure to file a bug report when I get home.

Unless the steps are really easy to repro, or you know for a fact they don't need the hip file, it doesn't hurt to just zip up the log and hip files, and send them to SideFX together.

Hi
Are you starting H from the Houdini Terminal? or just from double clicking the App icon?
I had the same experience you're having, but after i began starting H from the Houdini Terminal i haven't crashed once. I'm using 10.10.1 and GTX 680.

Cheers
Bonsak

I always use a terminal . what might matter is what mac book pro version + graphics card people are using. To be frank I would be happy to see all the fancy view port jazz dropped on the OSX version just for usability

Rob

We've already tried that with H12/13 and the GL2 viewport renderer, using Apple's GL2.1 driver. It proved too difficult to maintain, and it still ran into constant driver bugs.

We were hoping that Apple's GL3 core-profile implementation would be more solid, especially since they didn't implement any of the fixed-function GL1-2 compatibility features, and GL3 is more strictly defined. However, it's still quite buggy, which is terribly disappointing given how much work was done just to get Houdini running in the GL3 core profile on OSX.

And we're really not doing fancy stuff. It's pretty standard shader, buffer, and texture stuff for GL3. The fancy stuff would be Pixar's OpenSubDiv GL4 adaptive subdivsion code, which to my knowledge no one's been able to get running on OSX.

Bottom line - we'd all be much better off if Apple loosened up and let Nvidia, AMD and Intel implement their own OpenGL interfaces on OSX. Yes, even Intel now produces a more stable OpenGL implementation on Windows than Apple does on OSX.

So where does this leave OSX users . Are the current issues just not fixable ?

Rob

We'll just have to work around driver bugs as they emerge. Driver workarounds are unfortunately not as uncommon as we'd like. Sometimes we get lucky and an OSX update resolves some of them.

Mark T's currently tracing through this issue, and I've been investigating another angle.

Hopefully Apple will come to their senses and either let the experts handle it, or hire someone to fix it internally. Both Marks have been doing an incredible job trying to work around the moving blackholes of OpenGL in OS X, thanks guys!

Rob, if you can dual boot Windows or Linux, for cases where workarounds take a while to get patched, that's a good bet (that's what I've done, where possible). But as far as not fixable issues, the problems often only manifest themselves in specific hardware + software combinations.

For example, my 2011 MacBook Pro (6770M) had lots of problems that weren't present in the Desktop cards running OS X, or even other AMD MacBooks. I would just keep submitting them to SideFX as you encounter them, with system info and screengrabs/repro steps where possible. It's not ideal, but like Mark said, until Apple gets their butts in gear…

Finally have H14 running on the Mac Pro trash cans on OSX 10.9.5 at the studio and I have to confirm I am bumping into issues. Going to have to stick the linux boxes for now. :roll:

ps. Anyone know why the delete key does not work in the node view?

Hi, well I am using a last quarter 2010 macbook pro .

OSX 10.9.4

Chipset Model: NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M
Type: GPU
Bus: PCIe
PCIe Lane Width: x16
VRAM (Total): 256 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0a29
Revision ID: 0x00a2
ROM Revision: 3560
gMux Version: 1.9.21
Displays:

Maybe its time to upgrade

Rob

Fwiw - please try setting ‘Antialias Samples’ to ‘Off’ in the Display Options/Effects. This appears to remove some of the ‘createFontDeferData’ crashes in Houdini 14.0.221

circusmonkey
Hi, well I am using a last quarter 2010 macbook pro . Maybe its time to upgrade

We can reproduce the VDB from Polygons issue using both a Quadro 4000 and a GEForce 650M, so don't run out to the Apple store just yet.

MartybNz
Fwiw - please try setting ‘Antialias Samples’ to ‘Off’ in the Display Options/Effects. This appears to remove some of the ‘createFontDeferData’ crashes in Houdini 14.0.221

Tried it, made my Houdini Indie 14.0.222 crash. :-/

Seems like an OS X permissions issue. When launching from the Terminal it appears you're a super user (su) but when launched from an icon double click access to some libs are denied. So wondering if all permissions are set/flagged correctly for Houdini's library during initial installation. OS X seems to be secretly setting said permissions so they don't always have immediate access to system libs (OGL). Hmm, maybe SideFX should consider passing certain OGL crash logs directly to Apple developers via OS X's built in crash reporter. :?

I'm pretty sure Apple is just blocking OGL4 code simply for an OS X only benefit (security, etc.).